Panting Next Door

The night passed quickly.

When Soren saw Goria again, he noticed another strand of silver hair had appeared in her hair, which made him feel a pang of guilt. Prophecy Spell always come at a price, especially Prophecy Vivian's location; the price was far greater. After all, Vivian was the Fear God Child, and the cost of Prophecy her was probably comparable to divining the Destiny of a King. Soren was filled with gratitude; this was the first time he had ever felt so indebted to someone.

"Southern region, surrounded by mountains, near the sea."

Goria's expression remained serene and composed. She gazed quietly at Soren and slowly said, "The last card is a snake. I don't know what it represents, but it's definitely related to Vivian's whereabouts."

The snake represents many things.

The complex meaning behind it is difficult to deduce in a short time. In some beliefs, snakes represent wisdom, but they may also represent other meanings. Even if Goria is a skilled divination Northern Witch, it would be difficult for her to make a clear Prophecy. Legendary Divination can only make a rough prediction, and this is the same even if a Deity performs Divination. Otherwise, the Fear Cult would have found Vivian long ago and wouldn't have had to wait for Soren to take her away from Amber City.

Soren bowed slightly again, then turned and walked out of the Wizard Tower.

Now that he had a clue, it was much easier than searching aimlessly, at least not like looking for a needle in a haystack. Besides, he had traveled the entire continent and even visited the Overseas Islands several times. In his memory, there weren't many places that connected the south, mountains, and sea; it was most likely near a city close to the sea. The last card, representing a 'snake,' was the key to finding Vivian. Soren didn't know its significance yet.

Soren then departed.

He wasn't good at communicating with words, and he didn't know what to say.

He was grateful to Goria and wanted to repay her, but he was still too weak.

Even though he had advanced to the third rank within a month, he was still very weak in front of Goria. He couldn't compare to the Northern Witch in terms of wealth, and he wasn't as strong Goria, so repaying her was practically impossible. Soren could do was keep it all in his heart and wait until he was truly strong enough to repay her for her help today.

Goria did not accompany them.

She stood atop the tower, silently watching Soren depart, then reached out and touched her heart; the wound there had not yet healed. The appearance of the Hand of Despair had strengthened her resolve to break into the Legendary Domain; she was marching towards becoming Legendary Witch. In fact, she had divined more than once last night; she had divined something else entirely. The Prophecy told her that Soren would find Vivian, for their Destiny were intertwined.

The Northern Witch's long silver hair danced in the wind, her beauty still breathtaking. She gazed into the distance and murmured, "Soren!... I'm afraid you are also a Godsbane!... But whose blood did you inherit?...?"

He advanced to level three in one month.

This was something Goria wouldn't even dare to dream of; she was certain that some kind of power existed within Soren.

A bewitching woman stood by the window, having sensed Soren's departure as he left. Watching his receding figure, she murmured, "Who is he? His half-siblings are both Godsbane!... Could his mother also be Divine Blood Descendant?!...?"

She fell into deep thought, as if pondering something.

City of Wealth.

Caravans thronged the city, and everywhere one could see portly merchants haggling, occasionally uttering "Goddess of Wealth" before spitting as they pleaded for a further price reduction. This was the center of Trade along the southern coast, with canals connecting it to the inland, and its proximity to the Soros Islands facilitating maritime transport. It was the most prosperous Trade city, a place of particular interest to the Goddess of Wealth, home to the largest Temple of Wealth. Every transaction here was worth thousands of Gold Daler.

Businessmen are Lay Worshipper in the Goddess of Wealth.

This city was so wealthy that even its buildings were painted High Gold. Of course, it wasn't actually gilded; it was just a paint that made the buildings appear gold. The overly developed Trade also fostered various forms of darkness and decadence, as well as a pursuit of pleasure. This was also where the Goddess of Pleasure cultivated her followers. Whether it was a lavish banquet or various unique indulgences, as long as you could afford it, the priests of the Goddess of Pleasure would prepare it for you, and they could even invite the priests of the Goddess of Love to attend in person.

While the city maintains its prosperity, it is also rife with various crimes, attracting countless eyes seeking wealth.

Even with the power of the temple maintaining balance, the sewers here are never short of corpses.

Copper Pot Tavern.

The commotion was almost enough to alert the Guard outside. A large group of drunken ravenous men, travelers, and Adventurer laughed loudly, staring at the Halfling standing on the table before them, occasionally shouting for another verse. Nearby, a dejected Bard could be seen; his pitiful songs were no longer requested, as everyone's attention was drawn to the staggering, drunken Halfling. Despite his apparent intoxication, a fellow who tried to steal his purse was easily subdued by him.

His skills amazed many people, and the Adventurer next to him exchanged glances, assessing each other's strength.

Skilled Rogue are popular everywhere, and such people are always indispensable on an adventure.

Aladdin, holding a goblet bigger than his face, raised it high, took a swig, and then burped, saying, "The situation was incredibly dangerous!... Five ten-foot-tall Earth Elemental surrounded us!... Their arms were thicker than pillars!... One punch from them would leave a crater in the ground!... A slight touch from them could have been the God of Death!..."

"Luckily, I had a pretty good companion!... Although he's a little less skilled than me!... But he still managed to hold off two enemies for me!... The situation was really dangerous!... I was fighting back alone, surrounded by three Earth Elemental!... If I weren't short and naturally agile!... I wouldn't have been able to dodge their attacks at all!..."

"But I also had to take care of my companion who was slightly less skilled than me!... Goddess of Wealth!... I almost thought I was going to die here!..."

What followed was an incredibly thrilling adventure: how the valiant Halfling Aladdin, despite being at a complete disadvantage, defeated five Earth Elemental and rescued his companion, who was slightly less skilled than him. The other patrons in the tavern knew he was exaggerating, but they couldn't resist his eloquence; his storytelling was captivating and suspenseful, and he would occasionally mimic the events, making the audience feel completely immersed.

After being offered three drinks in a row, Aladdin finally finished telling this exciting adventure story.

He brilliantly defeated a large group of Earth Elemental, and at a crucial moment, he and his companions, who were slightly less skilled than him, used the gaps in the valley to escape the awakened Earth Giant.

After finishing his daily routine of boasting, Aladdin swayed and staggered out of the Copper Pot Tavern.

He was somewhat different now. His clothes were much more refined, adorned with some small ornaments, suggesting he had become quite wealthy after selling the gems. After leaving the tavern, he went down a side alley to loosen his belt and urinate, revealing a money pouch in his hand. Despite his bleary-eyed state, he grinned and weighed the pouch in his hand, chuckling, "Not bad for today! Didn't spend a penny on drinks, and even managed to swindle some money from a sucker."

"Ah!... The South is definitely better!... The weather is warm and sunny!... Making money is much easier there!..."

Aladdin shook his head, put the money bag away, and then turned and walked back to his dwelling.

He was still dazed and drunk, and people would greet him from time to time. It seemed he was doing quite well lately and had gained a small reputation in the neighborhood.

Suddenly.

He seemed to see something, his eyes widened in surprise, he shook his head, raised his hand to rub the corner of his eye, and then muttered, "Am I seeing things?"

"Why did I think I just saw Vivian?!... A hallucination! It must be a hallucination!... She went North with Soren!...

"Looks like I really am drunk! Haha!"

...(To be continued~^~)